Winter Games plans ‘pivot’

There are plans to go ahead with this year’s Queenstown- and Wanaka-based Winter Games NZ – but, if given the green light, it’ll be a new-look event.

WGNZ boss Marty Toomey says plans are afoot to “pivot” the event, being held late August, and make it domestic-only given the impact international border closures will have on the ability to bring snowsports athletes in to the country.

Toomey tells Mountain Scene organisers are working with funder, New Zealand Major Events, broadcast partner, Sky TV, Tourism New Zealand and other sponsors “around what an event could look like”.

“We’re excited.

“We think we’re getting close to at least know whether we can push the button on that.

“We think we can deliver something that would be bloody amazing.”

The international shut-down means the traditional games – which has become one of the largest winter sport events worldwide – won’t be possible, so the team’s designing an event that’ll look “quite different”.

“This will, in effect, be the domestic athlete launch for what will become an international event.

“There are elements we want to retain … there are some pretty cool things we can do.

“But, anything we do has got to be based on the domestic offering in terms of athletes.”